High-tension switch



J. FORT|N.. HIGH TENSION SWITCH. APPLICATION FI LED OCT. 23, I918.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.-

ZSHEETS-SHEET 1.

H WITNESSES J A TTOR/VEVS C. L FORTIN.

7 HIGH TENSION SWITCH.

APPLICATION HLED OCT. 23, ms.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 WITNESSES l/VVE/VTOR 4 I a/Fww/7 UNITED STATES arENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. FOBTIN,.OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

I HIGH-TENSION SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Mar. 23.1920.

Application filed October 23, 1918. Serial No. 259,370.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLns J. FoRrIN,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of SthPaul, in the county of- Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and Improved High-Tension Switch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a high tension switch of the quick air-break type, and it has for its general objects to improve and simplify the construction and operation of electrlcal apparatus of this character so as to be reliable and eflicient in use, comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufac,

ture, and so designed as to effect a quick break of the circuit, whereby arcing is eliminated.

A more specific. object of the invention is the provision of a novel operating means whereby the lever in both opening and clos ing the switch is moved downwardly, which is an advantage over that type of switch having a laterally moving lever, because with the latter the operator must assume a position which is diflicult to keep while' opening the switch if the same sticks, and he is apt to lose his balance and fall.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel arrangement of contacting blades and operating means whe re-. by one section of the blade will open bef )re the other, and therebyplace a spring under w tension, which will cause the second section of the blade to fly open with such speed as to cause an effective break of the are.

With such and other objects in vieW,. the

invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth w1th particularity in the following description andclaims appendedhereto. v

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views,

'Figure 1 is a plan view of the switch with the switch blades in closed position;

Fig.2 is a side view of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a front view with portions in section on the line 33, Fig. 1; and i Fig. 4: is a detail view of the means for causing quick opening of the blades.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a suitable supportingstructure which carries a horizontal frame A atsthe top and on sociated with the wheel an which is a vertical operating shaft 2 having a pinion 3 at its bottom meshing with a a of 'bars 9 and 10 and is made rigid by braces 11 extendingfrom the frame to the post 1. The frame is provided with a longitudinal rack bar 12 with which meshes a pinion 18 that in turn meshes with a pinion 14 on the upper end of the shaft 2. By means of the rack bar a plurality of switch blades can be operated at once, so that the switch can be used for a system having any number of wires. All the sets of switch blades and contacts are alike, so that a description of one will suffice for all.

An upright central shaft 15 is connnected with the pinion 13 that meshes with the rack- 12, and on this shaft is ansinsulator 16. On the upper end of the shaft 15 are two blade sectlons 17 and18, the first being fixed to the shaft and the latter pivoted thereon, as -will beclearly seen from Fig. 4. A helical spring 19 has one end 20 connected with the blade section 18 and the other end suitably connected with the shaft 15, so that as the lat ter turns the spring 19 will be placed under tension, which upon becoming sufficiently great will cause the switch blade 18 to move to open circuit position with a quick motion to extinguish the are. On the frame. A at opposite sides of the central shaft. 15 are posts 21 each having an insulator 22 and a pair of jaws 23 forming a fixed contact.

are oppositely disposed to those on the other The set of jaws 23.at one side of the center w side, so that the ends of the switch blade sections 17 and 18 can simultaneously enter between the jaws,;"and these fixed contactsare adapted to be connected by wires 24: in-

anelectric circuit. On the blade section 17 are clips or jaws 25 which frictionally eligage the blade section 18. a When the operating lever 7 is moved downwardly all of the switch blade sections 17 move to the dotted-line position a at the center of Fig. 1, and during this movement the springs 15) are placed under tension and when this tension becomes greater than the holding tension of the jaws 23 forming the fixed contacts, the blade sections 18 will be released and travel at a high rate of speed, so that it is impossible for an arc to jump between the switch blades and the fixed contacts, and when the switch is fully open the blade sections 17 and 18 will be in the dottedline position b at the bottom of Fig. l.

' When the switch is to be closed the lever will 'meth'od of operation will be readily under- 'stood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, together with the apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1.-In a switch, the combination of stationary separated contacts formed of jaws facing in opposite directions, a rotatable shaft disposed between the jaws, a pair oflaterally extending switch blade sections carried' by the shaft, one being loose. and the other fixed on the shaft, and a spring connected .with the loose 'sectionandwith the shaft, said blades being arranged to engage the jaws during the rotation ofthe shaft in one-direction, and to move away from the jaws during the rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction, the loose blade being frictionally held by .one pair of jaws until the tension of the spring exceeds the holding power of said jaws, whereby a sudden movement of the spring-pressed switch blade is effected.

2. In a switch, the combination of stationary separated contacts formed of jaws facing in opposite directions, a rotatable shaft disposed bet-ween the jaws", a pair of laterally extending switch blade sections carried by the shaft, one being loose and the other fixed on the shaft, a spring connected with the loose section and with the. shaft, said blades being arrangedto engage the jaws during the rotation of the shaft in one direction, and to move away from the aws dur ing the rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction, the loose blade being frietionally held by one pair of jaws until the tension of the spring exceeds the holding power of said jaws, whereby a. sudden movement of the spring pressed switch blade is effected, a lever, and means for causing the rotation of said shaft in either direction by a downwau pull of the lever.

3. A switch of the class described comprising a blade, contact means engaged by the'blade, an operating shaft for actuating the blade, a ratchet wheel operatively connected with the shaft .so that partial rotation of said ratchet wheel will operate said shaft, said ratchet wheel having oppositely facing ratchet teeth, an operating lever, and an adjustable pawl 'on'thelever for engaging either set of ratchet teeth, whereby a downward movement of the lever will move the switch blades to open or closed position.

CHARLES J FORTIN. 

